"This is punishment for the perpetrator, but what about the compensation and reassurance the perpetrator should provide to the victim?" Ye Jingchen asked.
The law does not explicitly state how compensation should be made in this regard.
The Prefect of Jingzhao thought for a moment, then suggested compensating them with ten taels of silver.
Ye Jingchen laughed, "Ha—ten taels? You have the nerve to say that?"
"Your son's behavior has caused extremely serious psychological trauma to the old man and his granddaughter. He even kicked the old man hard. I wonder if he caused any internal injuries. You think you can just give them a mere ten taels of silver?" Ye Jingchen asked with a sneer.
"Then what number does Your Highness think would be appropriate?" the Prefect of the Capital asked, clenching his fist.
"It should be at least three hundred taels!" Ye Jingchen increased the compensation by thirty times.
"Your Highness, three hundred taels is my entire year's salary!" the Prefect of the Capital immediately cried out.
He wasn't short of three hundred taels, nor was he unable to give it; it was just that if he gave it away easily, wouldn't the Crown Prince think he was corrupt as an official?
After all, his annual salary was only three hundred taels!
"Wouldn't that be just the right way to make a lasting impression on you?" Ye Jingchen asked with a smile.
"Don't tell me that the dignified Prefect of the Capital can't even come up with a mere three hundred taels of silver. If that's the case, I'll have to inform my father and ask him to investigate your Capital Prefecture!"
Prefect of the Capital: ...
Why does His Highness the Crown Prince always act unpredictably?
Why should he be investigated if he's poor?
But he wasn't really poor, so he couldn't really be investigated.
"Three hundred taels it is, but I don't have that much silver on me right now. Could you please give me some more time?"
"Wei Yi, I think the jade pendant on the Prefect's waist is of very good quality. Take that jade pendant to the pawnshop and pawn it for three hundred taels of silver as compensation for the old man and his granddaughter," Ye Jingchen instructed.
Wei Yi immediately went to retrieve the jade pendant.
The Prefect of Jingzhao was so frightened that he pressed his jade pendant tightly. "I have money, I have money! Lin Er, quickly give His Highness the Crown Prince three hundred taels of silver!"
The jade pendant on his waist is made of top-quality warm jade; it cost several thousand taels of silver to buy! If he were to pawn it, who knows how much it would cost to redeem it!
One of the attendants hurriedly took out three one-hundred-tael silver notes to hand to Ye Jingchen, but Wei Yi snatched them away and gave them directly to the old storyteller.
Faced with the huge sum of three hundred taels of silver, the old man was at a loss; he had never seen so much money in his entire life.
"Please accept this, old man. It's what you deserve," Ye Jingchen said with a smile.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" The old man knelt down and kowtowed three times to Ye Jingchen before getting up to accept the silver notes.
"As the saying goes, if you're going to help someone, help them to the end; if you're going to help someone, help them to the end. Since I've taken care of this matter between the grandfather and grandson, I will definitely see it through to the end."
"I have saved their lives, but I am confined to the palace for most of the year and am unable to do so. Therefore, I entrust their safety to the Prefect, the official in charge of the capital city."
"If anything happens to them, it will be due to the prefect's inadequate protection. If you really can't even protect two ordinary people, then Father Emperor will probably have to consider whether you are qualified to be the prefect of the capital!" Ye Jingchen said to the prefect with a half-smile.
"And your son, his crimes are probably not limited to this one, otherwise he wouldn't be so infamous that everyone avoids him like the plague!"
"Now that I have intervened in this matter, I will definitely investigate it thoroughly!"
"However, I am willing to give the Prefect a chance. As long as you can investigate all the evil deeds your son has committed and bring him to trial according to the law, my father and I will no longer pursue the Prefect's dereliction of duty and failure to properly educate his son!"
“Otherwise, if there’s one less piece of evidence, I’ll just put one on the Prefect. After all, it’s only right that the father pays for the son’s sins, isn’t it?” Ye Jingchen pressed on relentlessly.
The position of Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture may seem like just an official in charge of the capital region, but the capital region is the first line of defense for the imperial palace, and it has great military and political significance. If Ye Jingchen didn't know this, fine, but now that he knows that Ye Jingchen can't even teach his son well, how can we dare to entrust such an important position to him?
The Prefect of Jingzhao slumped to the ground.
He knew very well that this son was finished.
But this child is his and his wife's only child, the only legitimate son of the Jingzhao Prefecture. Can he abandon this child?
If he abandons the child, he will be standing against the Ministry of Personnel and Consort De. But if he doesn't abandon the child, judging from the Crown Prince's current attitude, he will never let him off easily.
"All of you present here today are witnesses. I intend to thoroughly investigate the evil deeds committed by the Prefect's son over the years. All those who have been bullied by him can go to the Jingzhao Prefecture to file a complaint. I believe that the Prefect of Jingzhao will handle the case according to the law and enforce the law impartially!" Ye Jingchen said loudly.
"Of course, I will also inform my father about this matter and request an imperial edict to be posted in front of the government office," Ye Jingchen added.
Thorough in every aspect.
The tea drinkers who have stayed until now are all people who love to watch the excitement. After hearing Ye Jingchen's words and the imperial edict as a guarantee, they all became very interested.
The storyteller and his granddaughter, who were the second victims, wept with joy.
In this way, the son of the prefect will have no chance of turning his life around, and they will no longer have to worry about being persecuted.
Although there are many spoiled brats in the capital, they will probably keep a low profile and behave themselves for a long time to come!
Amidst cheers and farewells, Ye Jingchen left the teahouse. Before leaving, he once again encouraged the old man, "Grandpa, your book is truly excellent, and your granddaughter's singing voice touches the soul. She has the potential to become a great person. Keep it up!"
Although the grandfather and granddaughter didn't know what "keep going" meant, the Crown Prince's two affirmations greatly encouraged them, filling them with confidence and energy. They felt that becoming famous in the capital might not be so difficult after all!
At first, storytelling and singing may have been things they had to do to make a living, but from now on, it may become a career that they truly love and will dedicate themselves to!
After leaving the teahouse, Ye Jingchen immediately instructed Wei Yi to have the Eastern Palace Guards keep a close eye on the movements of the grandfather and grandson, and to ensure their personal safety.
"Your Highness seems to value that old man very much. Is there any other arrangement?" Fangrong asked curiously.
Not only did he stand up for them, but he also praised them twice for their storytelling and singing. Now he has even ordered the Eastern Palace Guards to protect their safety. Fangrong couldn't understand it. This grandfather and grandson were just two ordinary street performers. What value could they have that made His Highness so concerned?
"Never underestimate anyone. Sometimes, even the smallest piece can play a crucial role if placed well."
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